Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Durham CIty Council Ward 1 Municipal Election Endorsement

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Bert Lance, former director of the Office of Management and Budget during President Jimmy Carter’s administration, popularized the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That’s the best way to describe Durham’s city council Ward 1 municipal election.

DeDreanna Freeman defeated long-time incumbent Cora Cole McFadden on November 7, 2017. She didn’t receive the endorsement of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People. They backed popular homegrown McFadden who served faithfully as Mayor Bill Bell’s Mayor Pro Tempore. Freeman received the endorsement of People’s Alliance in a battle that labeled her as a potential pawn of the liberal, mostly white political action committee.

Four years later, the script has been flipped with challenger Marion Teniade Johnson potentially receiving the endorsement of People’s Alliance while Freeman garners the overwhelming backing of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People. Freeman proves many of her critics wrong when she consistently joins Ward 3 Councilman Mark-Anthony Middleton in votes opposed by Jillian Johnson, Javiera Cabellero and Charlie Reece.

Both Freeman and Johnson prove the unreliability of perception. Some members of People’s Alliance may feel compelled to pay Freeman back for failing to honor their wishes. Members of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People fear Johnson’s motives in running for city council. Is she being used by Johnson, who is perceived to be the master mind behind a hostile takeover of local government?

Perceptions, perceptions, perceptions. Separating the facts from the outrageous fiction is part of Durham’s endorsement game. Most residents are protected from a plot that reads like a season of House of Cards. It matters because of the power of local political action committees. My task in offering my Ward 1 endorsement was in separating the facts from the fiction.

I begin with stating my most obvious conclusion.  Johnson is a rising star in local politics. She’s intelligent, familiar with how city governance works and incredibly passionate. I’m inspired by the why behind her desire to run for elected office. The fiction involves her lack of agency in constructing a platform. She has integrity to stand on her own without the intrusion of other members of the city council.

The truth presents a troubling unmovable object. Johnson is negatively impacted by the perception of the other Johnson – Jillian – holding power on the city council. The powerplay in endorsing A.J. Williams for Ward 3, Cabellero for Mayor added to Johnson being endorsed for Ward 1 by the Bully City Together coalition (Johnson, Cabellero, Reece) hinders the merit of her ability to think and vote without intrusion.

I’m impressed by Johnson’s ability to communicate her personal vision. She’s a progressive capable of bringing much needed nuance to conversations regarding law enforcement. Many voters are dissuaded by the Bull City Together coalition’s unwillingness to concede the concerns of residents impacted by escalating gun violence. The call to not fund adding police officers is a heated topic that promises to sway the outcome of the election.  Marion Teniade Johnson needs more time to fully introduce herself to the citizens of Durham. Her time is coming, but things aren’t broken in Ward 1.

DeDreanna Freeman has overcome the criticism from 2017. She’s known by the residents of Ward 1. She’s a leader in conversations involving antiracism as the Co-chair of Episcopalians United Against Racism. She’s worked on creating opportunities and support of businesses owned by women, Black, indigenous, and people of color. She’s a vocal supporter of the city CROWN Resolution that ended discrimination based on hair styles in Durham and across North Carolina. She collaborated with Durham County government to implement a Cure Violence Public Health Model that provides violence interrupters. She’s addressed environmental justice by supporting a cost share program to clean-up local watersheds, protecting watersheds from overdevelopment, and engaging in community-rooted efforts to clean up waterways. Freeman is doing the work in representing residents in North East Central Durham.

There are two other candidates on the ballot for City Council Ward 1. Elizabeth Takla mysteriously dropped out after the ballot was set to be presented to voters. Waldo Fenner is best known for the frivolous lawsuit he filed against former Mayor Bill Bell, the former city manager, chief of police, three judges (including mayoral candidate Elaine O’Neal), former District Attorney Michael Nifong and his predecessor Tracey Cline. We can move on without a discussion regarding why I failed to say more involving Fenner.

Freeman’s work in promoting antiracism may be her most important contribution to the citizens of Durham. During extreme hostility following the termination of Durham County Manager Wendell Davis, Freeman brought clarity and focus.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Next up, Ward 2

 

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